Of special interest in bone health, US medical physicians are not schooled in nutritional biochemistry or functional medicine and will make the common mistake of prescribing 1000-1500 mg of calcium a day. Dr. Grisanti of Functional Medicine University continues to state that recommendations of 1500 mgs of calcium a day to prevent osteoporosis and the common drugs, Boniva, Evista, Actonel, or Fosamax prescribed as treatment of osteoporosis yields an average of 2% improvement a year for a couple of years and then the benefit dwindles or ceases. A “temporary” improvement in bone density can be expected at the above stated improvement rate, and short-lived at that because the underlying root cause of the problem has been overlooked or ignored.

As a quick reminder, normal bone breaks down and repairs itself every day, just as all tissues do. A concern with this condition with this lack of bone turn-over and repair is the fact that it encourages the accumulation of heavy toxic metals. Specifically, Cadmium. When a body is depleted in adequate nutrient levels, it leaves susceptibility towards toxic metals to take their place. In the case of osteoporosis where extra calcium is being supplemented, what is failed to be known is that high doses of calcium actually pushes out zinc from the bones. Zinc is a mineral not only needed for bone strength, but as a catalyst for manufacturing over 200 enzymes in the body. I consider zinc to be a “master” mineral due to it’s seemly almost endless involvement in the functions of every vital system within the human body. Once cadmium displaces enough zinc, the bones lose their strength and you have a greater potential of developing osteopenia, osteomalacia, easy fractures and osteoporosis.

In summary, a zinc deficiency can come from cadmium, plasticizers, unbalanced high calcium doses, to list a few. Just the same, a deficiency of zinc leads to cadmium and other metals to accumulate. Therefore, you can you see how this condition worsens when the underlying root cause(s) are not identified. I recommend a RBC intracellular nutrient and toxic heavy metal profile. This will be the first step in helping in your pursuit in treatment of osteoporosis. One important clue that you may have a zinc deficiency if an alkaline phosphatase blood test below 70.

This increased calcium boots out even more zinc and makes room for more cadmium, compounding the osteoporosis state.

Not only does this extra calcium make people age faster by calcifying or hardening their brain and heart arteries and other soft tissues, this unbalanced high dose of calcium doesn’t have a good track record for effectively correcting or preventing osteoporosis.

Neither of these tests mentioned above are offered through your typical physician. Integrative and Functional Medicine trained healthcare providers are the ones to turn to. The great news is, evaluations and tests can be ordered without having to locate and physically visit this kind of specialist. The move of these highly trained practitioners are on the rise, forming micro practices all over and working alongside of allopathic physicians (your regular doctor). I can help you wherever you are demographically and help you utilize your doctor to fulfill the testing procedure.

Osteoporosis is among the conditional states I call ID problems, an acronym for inflammatory and/or degenerative disorders. The term I have coined as “ID conditions” is also a reminder not to approach all disease solely on the physical level. Think of it, osteoporosis is, by definition, weakening of the bone. Bone is comprised of minerals that harden the collagen proteins in formation by means of a process called ossification. Does it make sense to simply approach this as a deficiency of one or more minerals and mega dose them as if they body will know what to do? Or is it possibly a little more complex? Stress can deplete a body of minerals, however, what is the mechanism of which helps synthesize cells? Furthermore, cells into tissues, tissues into bone or glands, organs, etc.? Shouldn't the stress be addressed as well as the need to fulfill nutrient requirements?